WALTHAM, Mass. – Bentley athletics was named the Northeast 10's finalist for the NCAA Division II Award of Excellence, the NCAA announced Wednesday, for its new Flight Plan initiative. The Award of Excellence is bestowed to just one athletics department per conference, highlighting initiatives that exemplify the Division II philosophy of community engagement and student-athlete leadership. 

Through the vision of Athletic Director Vaughn Williams, Flight Plan is a comprehensive inclusive leadership and performance program dedicated to equipping our student-athletes with the tools they need to become the best version of themselves – for personal, professional and community impact throughout their lives. The program debuted in 2025 under the guidance of Grace Carter, Bentley's Manager of Student-Athlete Development.

There are five pillars to the program: leadership, wellness, career, community and finance. Student-athletes are engaged with Flight Plan throughout their Bentley careers.

"It's remarkable to consider that we are only in year two of this initiative," said Carter. "During the most transformative years of Bentley student-athletes' lives, Flight Plan will simply be how development is done—intentionally investing in the whole student-athlete, and unlocking potential for life beyond the game."

The finalists for the Division II Award of Excellence were chosen by a committee of athletics administrators and the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, with the SAAC members ultimately selecting the top three finalists. Those honorees, including the winner, will be announced at the Division II business session next week at the 2026 NCAA Convention in the Washington, D.C., area. 

Each finalist will receive $750. The winner will receive $3,000, with the second-place finisher getting $1,750 and the third-place finisher awarded $1,500. All prize money is intended to be used for future SAAC programming or community engagement events.